Robotics
Robotics There is no Tier 0 in Robotics, this is replaced by the Advanced Robotics technology. Advanced Robotics is required to break into the Robotics Tree. Advanced Robotics Post Count: 15 | Prerequisites: Improved Electronic Design Finally robotic units that are at least somewhat competent at the jobs assigned to them, They can perform basic or repetitive tasks very easily. Tier 1 3D Replicating Post Count: 15 | Prerequisites: Advanced Robotics 3D printing is nothing new; however this goes a step further, using automation to use turn an entire factory into an automated assembly unit. A single prototype used to start the mass production. Exoskeleton Armor Post Count: 15 | Prerequisites: Advanced Robotics Exoskeleton armor is probably the earliest iteration of power armor. Built as little more than a second skeleton, these suits tend to be somewhat bulky and power inefficient. While useful for civilian applications, military use is hindered by their limited functionality; However, the foremost use is in bolstering the load limits of soldiers, with some applications in allowing soldiers to wear much heavier armor than normal. Basic Combat Drones Post Count: 15 | Prerequisites: Advanced Robotics Basic combat drones, very crude and simple often little more than an automated surveillance system. These simple drones form the very basis of a future robotic force. Tier 2 Basic Ship Automation Post Count: 20 | Prerequisites: Basic Artifical Intelligence Now ships have started to undergo a slow automation, the early automation does little more than reduce crew requirements for basic tasks such as maintenance. Integrated Drone Control Post Count: 20 | Prerequisites: Basic Combat Drones, Basic Artificial Intelligence Now drone control systems can be fully integrated into fighters, allowing strikecraft that were previously manned or even remote controlled to now be automated. Automated Medical Units Post Count: 20 | Prerequisites: Basic Artificial Intelligence These simple automated units are capable of quickly tending to injured brought within their radius. Somewhat bulky and stationary, they are still a very useful tool for medical facilities. Automated Construction Units Post Count: 20 | Prerequisites: Basic Artificial Intelligence. These automated units actually consist of a central unit that is delivered to a location before deploying an assortment of smaller units to quickly assemble or repair structures in the set vicinity. Cybernetic Transplantation Post Count: 20 | Prerequisites: N/A Advanced rejection treatments have now allowed the proper transplantation of obviously inorganic body parts. The foremost advantage to this allowing considerably different cybernetics to be implanted in an individual, rather than having to mirror existing body structure. Tier 3 Advanced Ship Automation Post Count: 25 | Prerequisites: Basic Ship Automation Advanced automation methods now enable ships to significantly reduce the crews needed, handling many of the minor tasks required in engineering and other places within the ship. True automation is still not quite available yet though. Basic Nanites Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Tunnel Effect Processors These basic nanites aren’t capable of too much, capable of handling basic medical or fabrication tasks they are slow and only capable of the basic functions within those fields. Automated Ship Fabrication Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: 3D Replicating, Automated Construction Units. 3D Ship fabrication is little more than scaling up 3d printing capabilities to the size required for a shipyard. Fabricating ships in sections and assembling them with robotic units. This enables shipyards to work around the clock with minimal reliance on staff so long as resources are present. Advanced Combat Units Post Count: 25 | Prerequisites: Basic Combat Drones, Generalized Artificial Intelligence These advanced units are capable, to a degree, operate as standard field troops. Limited for the most part by the intelligence of their AI, they are further more limited by the need for control programs to direct them. The AI is only capable of making basic field choices due to limited unit functionality. Enhanced Combat Exoskeletons Post Count: 25 | Prerequisites: Exoskeleton Armor, Enhanced Capacitors Developments on Exoskeleton armor has resulted in a refined system better suited for full combat functionality, they retain a higher power efficiency and reduced profile compared to prior variations. The suits can easily be armored to the degree of light vehicles at expense of operation time, additionally electronic integration affords soldiers better situation awareness and response time. Advanced Cybernetic Transplantation Post Count: 25 | Prerequisites: Cybernetic Transplantation Specialized Medical drug nodes implanted into prosthetic allows heavy use of combat drugs in cybernetics without the normal drawbacks. Additionally the improvements to Cybernetic transplants means that cybernetics is no longer limited to just replacing limbs and body parts, but now adding completely new ones. Training to use new limbs requires a bit of time. Tier 4 AI automated Starships Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Advanced Ship Automation, Generalized Artificial Intelligence. Finally automated starships are a possibility, operating off a group of AI which in turn control various robotic units within the ship. Starships can be fully automated for a range of functionality, even basic combat ships can be automated to a degree so long as a control ship is still present to direct them. Self Contained Combat Units Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Advanced Combat Units, Nanocommunication Combat robotics are now at the point where they are capable of functioning on the level of a standard soldier in full, only requiring high level orders. The troops, utilizing linked nanocommunication, are now capable of making the logical decisions required to carry out orders in an efficient manner. Personal Powered Armor Units Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Enhanced Combat Exoskeletons, and ONE of the following (Gen III Chemical Reactors, Gen IV Nuclear Reactors, Gen III Fusion Reactors) These specialized power armor units are a major advancement over their previous Exoskeleton units, with an integrated reactor unit they are capable of running for hours on end in the field and in some cases days with limited usage. Their primary advanced from earlier models is in enhancements to the underlying exoskeleton, allowing a user enhanced strength, mobility, and due to the armor itself, suitability. Gen II Fabrication Nanites Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Basic Nanites, Nanocommunication These nanites are more specialized for fabrication but are far more advanced than the basic nanites of before, a Grey goo of sorts, these little fabrication machines put 3D printing to shame. That is of course if they have the time, these little machines far slower than other production methods currently. As well, ships may mount a morph & repair module at twice the cost of a self-repair module, allowing self-modification as well as self-repair in the field. Morphing between schematics of like class and BP takes a number of posts equal to the amount of DP being moved around divided by five, rounding up, and another morph may not be attempted until a like number of posts have passed since the previous modification. However, the template and material composition of the ship must remain the same: one could not, say, spontaneously synthesize nuclear reactors without a store of nuclear fuel onboard. Morphing may not progress in combat. Gen II Medical Nanites Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Basic Nanites, Nanocommunication These nanites, specialized for Medical uses, are almost a wonder tool. Different types of medical nanites able to hunt down and deal with various infections or repair damages. They are unfortunately limited by the doctor’s capability to properly diagnose the problem; furthermore the nanites are unable to mend critical injuries in reasonable time. Cybernetic Nanite Nodes Post Count: 30 | Prerequisites: Advanced Cybernetic Transplantation, Gen II Medical Nanites OR Gen II Fabrication Nanites Introducing nodes for nanites into the physical body as part of cybernetic transplantation allows near unprecedented utility, this combined with the intelligence inherent in nanites allows a host to sustain considerable injury or stress in situations and continue operating. In the case of utilizing Fabrication nanites over Medical nanites results in the ability to rapidly repair cybernetics in field operations. Tier 5 Gen III Fabrication Nanites Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Gen II Fabrication Nanites The equivalent of an entire factory distilled down into a Grey goo, these nanites so long as they have the base materials are capable of fabricating most anything from blueprints given. Fast enough to raise an entire building in just a few days, they are an industrial powerhouse in and of themselves. As well, ships capable of morphing may fully resculpt themselves to another vessel schematic, of equal - or, if the ship is to be split into several, lesser - class and DP count and of any template that your faction has the technological capacity to construct, in a number of posts equal to the craft's total DP divided by five, rounding up, and morphing between schematics of like class, template, and BP now takes a number of posts equal to the amount of DP being moved around divided by ten, rounding up. Morphing may not progress in combat. Gen III Medical Nanites Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Gen II Medical Nanites Best described as having a personal doctor and surgeon, these medical nanites are capable of treating with most known diseases and medical problems. They have a limited capability to heal critical wounds and in many cases are better at emergency surgery than an actual surgeon. Unfortunately, they do put a bit of a nutritional demand on bodies once they get to work. Hunter-Killer Combat Units Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Self Contained Combat Units, Nanomesh Processing, Generalized Artificial Intelligence An almost terrifying step forward, by utilizing the distributed capabilities of a nanomesh network with developing artificial intelligence, its possible to create an entirely AI governed combat unit with decentralized processing. The key advantage to these changes is the Units can be rapidly scaled from a single unit to an entire platoon in short order, unfortunately such systems find themselves limited by hardware and the AI's own adaptability. Advanced Power Armor Frames Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Personal Powered Armor Units, Quantum Capacitors While these power armor units may be horrifically power hungry in order to operate the exoskeleton unit, they are a terror to behold on the battlefield. The miniaturization and optimized equipment packed in allows these units to be armed and armored similar to many vehicles, while the limitations of the suit mean they would falter in the face of actual armor units the frames are able to fill a niche between infantry and vehicle scale, able to operate in environments to harsh for the former but inaccessible to the latter. Adaptive Ship-AI Integration Post count: 40 | Prerequisites: AI Automated Starships, Advanced Artificial Intelligence Advancements for integration of AI logic to starships has expanded functionality significantly. Combat Starships that once required a control ship nearby to direct the AI are now fully autonomous, capable of operating without any guidance. Additionally such functionality allows any suitably advanced cyberspace intelligence to operate the entire ship on its own, removing the need for crew entirely. Genetech Nanites Post Count: 35 | Prerequisites: Gen II Medical Nanites, Improved Chimeric Gestation The first iteration of an entirely new type of medical nanites, these nanites revolve not around fixing and repairing damage to a body but physically altering it. The use of chimera genetic concepts and the medical nanites own ability to interact with DNA, it's possible to shortcut many issues of biotechnology for adapting a new form. These early prototypes require constant supervision and can take months to properly augment a body. Tier 6 Gen IV Fabrication Nanites Post Count: 40 | Prerequisites: Gen III Fabrication Nanites A major improvement on Gen III fabrication nanites allows for very rapid construction on the scale of hours. Morphing between schematics of like class, template, and BP now takes a number of posts equal to the amount of DP being moved around divided by fifteen, rounding up. Self-repair now operates fast enough to have an effect on combat timescales. Morphing may not progress in combat. Gen IV Medical Nanites Post Count: 40 | Prerequisites: Gen III Medical Nanites Fully capable of healing critical wounds, and highly effective at diagnosing and fighting infections or diseases by itself, these effectively render doctors and surgeons redundant. Also capable of working on the cellular level to reverse aging and vastly extend life - adding centuries onto a lifespan. Terraformation Nanites Post Count: 40 | Prerequisites: Gen III Fabrication Nanites These little nanites are a terraformation factory in a vat. Released into an environment they are capable of creating a sphere of remotely habitable space. Converting themselves into the equivalent of a biodome, feeding off the local environment to slowly expand. Though incredibly slow to work, it is theoretically possible to terraform a small planetoid in a few generations. Sub-dermal Nanite Mesh Post Count: 40 | Prerequisites: Gen III Nanites (Fabrication & Medical) Specialized nanites are now capable of fabricating a sub-dermal mesh integrated into the hosts nervous system, proving an anchor point for cybernetic expansion far beyond what any surgeon could accomplish. Gen II Genetech Nanites Post Count: 40 | Prerequisites: Genetech Nanites, Specialized Morphotypes Improvements made both to the Chimera genetic methods and to the nanites themselves have resulted in a crude but almost terrifying system, with proper supervision, either by scientific personnel or simply advanced AI, it's possible to use these nanites to begin making large changes to Ecosystems. While the process is slow often taking generations, and it can't adapt to more extreme environments, it offers a way to make life of a dead world. Tier 7 Advanced Terraformation Nanites Post Count: 45 | Prerequisites: Terraformation Nanites Vastly accelerated in speed, a bottle of these nanites are capable of turning a 100m^2 area into habitable space every day. While it would still take a few lifetimes to convert any decent sized planet, they are a lifesaving wonder for many a uninhabitable colony. Gen V Medical Nanites Post Count: 45 | Prerequisites: Gen IV Medical Nanites Further advancement upon prior medical nanotechnology enables the reconstruction of decayed neural pathways for well-preserved, but old, corpses. This technology enables the ressurection of deceased individuals well after their death, from 24 hours to tens of years depending on how well preserved a body is. Nanomesh Wetware Post Count: 45 | Prerequisites: Sub-dermal Nanite Mesh These nanomesh designs are far beyond anything that most people could imagine, through careful use of the sub-dermal nanite mesh, a living beings "Wetware" (Brain) can be converted into a purely synthetic form. Effectively taking on an early Transhuman state, save only that they are still bound to the shell that is their own body. Gen III Genetech Nanites Post Count: 45 | Prerequisites: Gen II Genetech Nanites Refinement of the nanites used before has made them notably faster, while accelerating the process to much would likely destroy any attempt to adapt an ecosystem, the new generation can contract what would take generations to just a few years. Further still with a large nutrient supply, it would be possible under supervision for these nanites to fabricate entirely new forms of life on the fly. Naturally though the nanites have no ways to overcome the physical limitations of life in an enviorment, only being able to adapt them to it. Tier 8 Wetware Transferal Post Count: 50 | Prerequisites: Nanomesh Wetware A method was developed that would allow one already integrated with the nanomesh to transfer their mind to a new shell. The ramifications of this are immense, however there is many questions on if the person is transferred or simply cloned. This unfortunately though still requires transfer to a new wetware shell. Gen VI Medical Nanites Post Count: 50 | Prerequisites: Gen V Medical Nanites Further advancement upon medical nanotechnology enhances the ability for nanites to reconstruct the bodies and neural pathways of well-preserved and partially decayed corpses. Although large amounts of the body must still be in good shape, these nanites are able to reverse some damage done by scavengers, necrosis and other natural causes of decay - though only about a week after death will they be able to have a good chance of working. Eden Nanites Post Count: 50 | Prerequisites: Advanced Terraformation Nanites An evolved form of the previous generation of nanites, they are capable of converting even a dead rock into habitable space. A bottle able to turn a 250m^2 area a day, these miniture factories being almost godly in their capabilities. Gen IV Genetech Nanites Post Count: 50 | Prerequisites: Gen III Genetech Nanites When prepared with proper supervision and guidence, along with priming for the world (or world to be if paired with Eden nanites), these marvels allow life to begin springing up in a relatively short time span. While they are unable to accelerate the adaption of existing life, they can within months even, begin generating an entirely new ecosystem. The overall result being the power to almost 'seed' planets with life, assuming stellar conditions would allow for such. Tier 9 Synthware Transferal Post Count: 60 | Prerequisites: Wetware Transferal, Duo-Phase QEC Finally a method has been devised by which one can transfer to a synthetic shell, one without the standard wetware components. This requires obscene amounts of processing to accomplish however, even than those that use Synthware are often slower than others. Gen VII Medical Nanites Post Count: 60 | Prerequisites: Gen VI Medical Nanites The most advanced medical nanotechnology that is accessible to us at the moment, this advancement in medical nanotechnology allows for the revival of corpses that have undergone up to 50% decay. Though incapable of reconstructing a person from nothing, or without even a partial brain to go off of, these nanites are capable of feats that would make even the most optimistic of futurists wary of their capabilities. Genesis Nanites Post Count: 60 | Prerequisites: Eden Nanites The final evolution of terraformation nanites, these nanites are capable of converting a 500m^2 area a day, in addition to this they are more than capable of reshaping the land as they work, allowing them to slowly turn even a stray asteroid into a habitable rock if the orbit is right. Tier 10 Infomorph transcendence Post Count: 100 | Prerequisites: Snythware Transferal, Quad-Phase QEC, Neuro-Fuzzy Processors. The ultimate in transhuman technology, the transferal to Synthware has been modified such to allow one to become a full-fledged infomorph, completely discarding the needs for a physical body, this does however have several other ramifications on society. Strangely after the conversion, an entities ESPER rating drops to 0 even though they are still alive in a manner of speaking Category:Tech Tree